Developing management plans for Protected Areas
ERA has extensive experience in the preparation of management plans for protected areas in Antarctica. This work has involved all aspects of plan development, such as:
- evaluation and definition environmental values
- leading and managing consultation processes with science, management and logistics personnel
- development of environmental management objectives and policies
- researching site information and describing environmental features
- in-field assessment of environmental issues and problems
- field GPS data collection for accurate mapping control and to locate key features precisely
- design and preparation of detailed site maps using GIS and digital orthophotography
- international coordination of field data collection and analysis
- ensuring consistency with legal and international requirements, taking into account best-practice world-wide
- facilitation of plans through sometimes complex political processes
- close liaison with the full range of international bodies responsible for assessing and approving plans.
From 1993 to 1998 Dr Harris carried out similar work while employed as the principal Environmental Specialist at ICAIR, Christchurch, New Zealand, which involved eighteen sites throughout the the Ross Sea region. Dr Harris left ICAIR in 1998 to establish ERA, which was contracted by the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States to prepare management plans and maps for sites in the Antarctic Peninsula region. This work included 15 sites, ranging from the Pensacola Mountains (82°30'S 51°00'W) in the south to the South Orkney Islands (60°45'S, 45°30'W) in the north. Recently, ERA renewed work on protected areas in the Ross Sea for the Government of Italy, the first of which was adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Parties in Madrid in June 2003 (ASPA No. 161 - see table below) and the second (Edmonson Point) was adopted in 2006.
Dr Harris and ERA have thus worked on almost half (30) of the 71 sites adopted to date by the Antarctic Treaty Parties (as at March 2012), with extensive field experience accumulated over more than a decade. The sites include both marine and terrestrial environments, and are protected for a wide range of values. In carrying out this work, collaborative links have been established across a broad network of scientists and countries. As such, ERA has the most wide-ranging and extensive experience available world-wide for this type of work. This experience has ensured that all of the management plans prepared by ERA have been adopted by the Antarctic Treaty Parties without significant modification.
A list of all of the sites for which Dr Harris or ERA was responsible for preparing the draft management plans and maps is provided in two tables below. The tables show the country responsible for original proposal of the site and the years plan and map development took place. Links are provided to the Antarctic Protected Areas Information Archive, where the full plans may be accessed. This web-based archive of information on protected areas was originally developed by ERA, and has now been transferred to the Committee for Environmental Protection.
The first table includes site plans prepared for clients by ERA since 1998. The second table lists sites worked on pre-1998. Should you wish to find out more about the services ERA could offer that might assist you in this type of work, please do not hesitate to contact ERA.
| ASPA No. | Protected Area management plans / maps Dr Harris worked on before 1998 | Original proponent | Years work undertaken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | Beaufort Island, Ross Sea | NZ | 1995-96 |
| 116 | New College Valley, Caughley Beach, Cape Bird, Ross Island | NZ | 1994-96 |
| 118 | Summit of Mount Melbourne, Victoria Land (including Cryptogam Ridge) | NZ | 1994-96 |
| 130 | Tramway Ridge, Mount Erebus, Ross Island | NZ | 1994-96 |
| 131 | Canada Glacier, Lake Fryxell, Taylor Valley, Victoria Land | NZ | 1994-97 |
| 154 | Botany Bay, Cape Geology, Victoria Land | NZ | 1996-97 |
| 156 | Lewis Bay, Mount Erebus, Ross Island | NZ | 1994-96 |
